Consumer Hypnosis - Bay Style!

Rating: 2/10 (8 August 2005)

Twenty minutes into The Island I had an epiphany. "I paid six dollars to see a two and a half hour commercial," I thought to myself. While action and special effects can be entertaining, one must eventually be bored with them. Unless one is my boyfriend, of course. I, meanwhile, found a different way to occupy my time. It was a game called "Count the items advertised in The Island". I lost track at 23. Product placement minimally is fine, as in Spiderman 2 with Dr. Pepper or 28 Days Later. But when you notice the Puma shoes and the Audis and the Budweiser filling up your screen instead of plot, something has gone horribly wrong. Do yourself a favor and go to the mall if you want to be attacked with advertising of shoes and drinks and cars and clothing companies and colognes. At least this way you'll save some money and not be forced to watch Scarlett Johansenn try her hardest to act. Oh and by the way, blame Michael Bay for going millions over budget and resorting to the dreaded product placement.